Friday, 26 September 2008

As the seasons change. On the cusp of one another. It can be the point you notice it most.

I adore the autumn. The days that have an empty, cold breeze in the air telling you that it is going to bring something much colder after it, so get prepared. The sunsets of wicked orange, purple and teal blue. The tepid nights that make you wish you'd worn a hat and scarf. The deep, familiar smell of someone burning something far away.

At this time of year I can't help but be reminded of the past. Things that happen at this time of year and the way it made me feel.

Waking this morning I thought of this song. Of what it symbolised to me. How the song made me feel back then and how it makes me taste that feeling now.

Wednesday, 24 September 2008

The Joy Formidable are somewhat new on the scene. Or they at least feel it. I have plunged into some of their work and it definately sounds like the they'll be a band I keep an eye on to see if their sound blossoms with the potential that I think it harbours already.

Tweaking here and there on a couple of songs. They've got a load of live dates, so have a look. I reckon they translate differently live. And that is always exciting and interesting.

Creating vast sounds that appear to be careering towards you at great speed, volume and energy. The Joy Formidable bring songs and lyrics right into the centre of your focus, leaving nothing for the peripheral and with this song especially who needs anything in their peripheral!

Tuesday, 23 September 2008

I've seen James Yuill be described as 'folktronica', which while I can appreciate may give some sort of relevant likening to his music, I just don't think is suitable. Especially for his current single No Pins Allowed. This track has much more of a hard edge than 'folktronica' would have you believe. And the 'folk' part I can accept. I really can. That term and I get along. I believe its accurate to show what the lovely Mr Yuill is doing. But alluding to 'electronica'. I don't agree with. I'd probably push so far to say that 'electro' would be more appropriate.

With influences that are nearly as diverse as this humble blog, expect magical musical musings from this young man. And check out his MySpace top friends! Its like every electro t-shirt I've been unable get my hands on.

Monday, 22 September 2008

Opening with some side-tracked thoughts. Now I couldn't really write what I wanted to write about Sebastian Grainger. It could get me into quite a lot of trouble. But basically it was about giving him some 'new material' to sing about. Seeing as he tends to sing lots of very sexually fraught lyrics all the time.

I've definately not penned any of the said potential lyrics in my head.

"I can't stop those camera flashes,Tied to this chair, she's got me right where she wants me..."

You know. I've not thought about it really.

Moving swiftly on. As we all know Pop Cultureddd is trying to frantically catch up with all the bits and pieces missed out on over the past few months. Basically if it hasn't made it to the Radio 1 playlist then it is unlikely that I will have come into contact with it.

But working for a certain high-street fashion store means my ears get filled with sounds to make people buy. This can, in fact, be highly annoying. Although something magical happened recently when I found myself being sung to in my ear with the highly exciting lyrics 'I want you with your back up against the wall, I want you in the hallways of the shopping mall'. Its enough to put you off fitting shoes on mens rancid feet!

Data has teamed up with the aforementioned casanova of sexual tension to produce a rather splendid track. To hear the original and PT II of the original pop over to MySpace. Our concern is a couple of the remixes.

This is the remix I can be found shaking my bits to in a high street fashion store. Its incredibly pleasing on the ear. Definately my favourite of the ones I heard. Check out Pacific!.

Sunday, 21 September 2008

I used to be known for my almost blinkered adoration of indie music. Around 2003-05 I could be found at nearly every indie club night I could get to and often a lot of mediocre gigs that coincided with that. But as of late that indie scene has done very little for me. Even the indie nights that used to play strictly scenester jangly guitar music have let it all slip and now mix it up with pop, dance, electro and even a little bit of folk thrown in for good measure.

But this song has really captured me. Taken me back to when I was 18 and could happily spend hours on the dancefloor, flinging myself around and sweating out every liquid ingested that week. I think Twisted Wheel have an urgency to their sound that keeps them relentless, exciting and massively exhilerating.

Twisted Wheel have managed to wrestle back that certain divine spark that disappeared when the Artic Mokeys came along and ruined indie music.

Raw, aggresive, youthful, all the things you could wish for.

Get yourself to one of their many gigs. It'd be messy, I reckon. And messy is good.

Saturday, 20 September 2008

The general consensus was always that, yes, Duke Dumont is pretty awesome, very talented and quite sexy, and so you think that you have everything sussed. The world is as you know it. You are comfortable, or as comfortable as you can, with that fact. Okay, so you'd like Greggs and Tesco to disappear, to make mash the cornerstone of your diet, and to have a lot more sex dreams and less nightmares in which you're inevitably running down a dark corridor with damp walls in your bare feet. But these are the things that are outside of your control and you expect to be annoyances on your day-to-day existence (especially Tesco).

So faith is put in things like gravity, Alexa Chung being in every copy of Look, and Duke Dumont to remix songs as you'd expect. You know, bloody wonderful to the point of a blinding headache.

But not like this. This has come to reshape my summer. And I am very grateful of it.

Wednesday, 17 September 2008

It is that feeling. Feeling that you are in a safe pair of hands. Feeling that come what may that there is actually something constant.

Knowing that you are instantly going to like something. After not really liking anything at all for a really long time. Or starting to like weird things. It is all okay. You'll come full circle. Realise what you've been missing out on and decide that all that is needed is a locked door, darkened room, overdose of bedranol, and semi-naked-hair-shaking-flinging-things-with-eye-closed dancing.

Tuesday, 16 September 2008

Anyway, I have been reunited with the internet. We have some catching up to do.

So in the meantime I leave you with two nuggets to consider.

I have a goldfish, very beautiful fantailed goldfish, firey orange. Suggestions for a name or aquatic related songs and artists. I need a giggle. Oh. And another fish (hopefully pearly white) to be aquired soon. So keep that in mind.

The other, is it wrong to enjoy commerical dance-esque synths? The Boyfriend would happily expose me for a slight liking to it.

Tuesday, 9 September 2008

Not the game show. Although being a clinically depressed, unemployed loser I have had more than my fair share of it recently. And I am literally no better at it. Forming a six-letter word should not be the highlight of my day!

A countdown to having the internet again! Apparently it should be sorted by the end of the month.

A break from the hum-drum in the shape of birthday celebrations. This included woollen bobble hats, Tigermilk in glorious velvety vinyl, a three tier cake (every tier a different flavour, don't you know), and as of yet an empty goldfish bowl. Fun, frolics and spectacular company made for an ever eventful time of year.

I wished to share with you some of my recent listenings, but its proving pretty difficult on a public-use library computer. So a MySpace link will have to suffice. It may possibly be completely incorrect as I can't hear what is playing on the page and would be buggered if I can remember the name of the track that I heard a glimpse of and possibly liked.